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COMMUNITY NEWS
PUC Response on PG&E Outages Editor’s note: Here is the letter Marybel Batjer, president of California Public Utilities Commission, sent Nov. 1 to Santa Cruz County Supervisor Bruce McPherson, board chairman, on PG&E’s “Fast Trip” outages: Thank you for your September 29, 2021 letter regarding Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) use of Fast Trip settings1 and the resultant outages. I share your concerns and frustration about the significant impact that these outages are having on customers and your concerns about PG&E’s approach to advanced outreach and communication. I know that customers in Santa Cruz County have been particularly impacted by these outages. As you stated, Fast Trip outages are more than a matter of inconvenience, they are a life and safety issue. As I communicated to PG&E in an October 25, 2021 letter2 (see below), they must take immediate action to reduce and mitigate customer impacts and ensure that all
communities who may be impacted by Fast Trip are better informed and supported. PG&E will be reporting on its use of Fast Trip settings in its 2022 Wildfire Mitigation Plan Update. I am also requiring PG&E to respond to a series of questions posed in my October 25th letter by November 8, 2021. This includes questions responsive to your request for information on the operational steps PG&E is taking to reduce or avoid Fast Trip outages. PG&E will serve this information on the service lists for the Commission’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan (R.18-10-007) and PG&E Safety Culture (I.1508-019) proceedings. In addition, I am requiring PG&E to provide monthly reports to the Director of our Safety Enforcement Division and copy to those same service lists that will describe the occurrence, causes, and impacts of all Fast Trip outages. “Response to County” page 9
CPUC to PG&E: Respond on No-Notice Outages Letter By Nov. 8
Editor’s note: Here is the California Public Utilities Commission president’s Oct. 25, 2021 letter to PG&E CEO Patricia Poppe ordering responses by Nov. 8: ••• acific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) execution and communication of its wildfire mitigation device setting known as Fast Trip1 has been extremely concerning and requires immediate action to better support customers in the event of an outage. This letter details my concerns and provides direction to PG&E regarding my expectations going forward. Since PG&E initiated the Fast Trip setting practice on 11,500 miles of lines in High Fire Threat Districts in late July, it has caused over 500 unplanned power outages impacting over 560,000 customers. These Fast Trip-caused outages occur with no notice and can last hours or days. Though PG&E reports that implementation of Fast Trip settings has significantly reduced reportable wildfire ignitions
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from contact with its power lines, this approach has also significantly increased the frequency and duration of unplanned power outages for its customers, causing confusion and frustration in communities constantly vigilant of wildfire threats. While I acknowledge how critical it is to public safety to reduce the risk of utility-ignited wildfires, it appears that PG&E decided to implement Fast Trip settings this summer with little forethought as to whether the settings were appropriately calibrated, what outreach to public safety partners and customers was necessary in advance, and how customer impacts would be mitigated and vulnerable customers’ medical needs addressed. Fast Trip outages are more than a matter of inconvenience – they are disruptive, and for customers who rely on electricity to maintain necessary life functions, they can be life-threatening. “PG&E Action Required” page 9
